The subject matter disclosed herein relates to control systems, e.g., for industrial turbines and, in one embodiment, to devices configured to verify proper logging of sequence of events (SOE) data in the control system.
Equipment such as industrial and power generation turbines connect to control systems that monitor and control their operation. Exemplary control systems typically include hardware to implement application code (e.g., software, firmware, etc.) to operate the turbines. Operation often includes opening and closing switches and valves, activating and running motors, as well as other tasks permitting the equipment to perform its designated tasks.
In many cases, the control systems also monitor signals, e.g., signals that indicate the position and/or status of certain switches (e.g., safety switches). Changes in these signals may indicate “events” often associated with problems, issues, and malfunctions in the equipment and its operation. For proper detection and diagnosis, the control system registers these events along with the time at which the event occurs, thus providing a thorough database or “log” of information about the equipment and its operation. In one example, monitoring done in this manner results in chronologically arranged data or, what is also known as, a sequence of events (SOE) database. To ascertain the ultimate source of a failure, an end user (e.g., a maintenance or control operator) can review the log to debug the equipment and/or control system after failure or other significant change in the operation of the equipment takes place.
Problems with the log can arise from time to time if, for example, the control system does not property or accurately correlate, or time-stamp, the events with the actual time the event occurs. The margin for error for time-stamping is very often small. The difference between accurate and inaccurate times-stamps may be only a few milliseconds (ms) based on the type of equipment, configuration of the control structure, and the complexity of operation that the equipment/control structure performs.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.